Concrete-mixing machine.



' C. F. LANCASTER. ooNonBTn mxrNe Mmmm.

A'PILIDATIDH FILED FEB. 11,1909.

`Panama Apr. 5, 1910.

VC. T. LANCASTER. GOKOBETE MIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILBD I'EB. l1. 1R08.

Patented, Apr. 5, 11910.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witncma aucun?! u. F. LANGASTBR,

` GONGRETB mma MAQBINB. i y unicum! Hmm 11:13.11. 1h99. 953,961.Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

5 aunq-snuff s..

C. F. LANCASTER.

CONCRETE MIXING MAGHINE.

APPLIUATIQN FILED H1B. 11. 190s.

953,961 Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

C. P. LANCASTER.

CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE.

AYPLIOATION FILED H1B. 11, 1909.

953,96 1 Patented Apr. 5, 1910,

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

SMQ/11m CHARLES F. LANCASTER, OF PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN.

C ONCRETE-MIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

Application tiled February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,312.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that Il CHARLES F. LANCAS- Ten, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Petoskey, in the county of Emmet and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConcrete-Mixing Machines, ot which the following is a specitication.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inconcrete mixing machines of the continuous type, and the invention hasfor one of its ob eats improved mining devices which are e ective incommingling the ingredients, such as sand and cement after they havebeen fed thereto. And a further object of the invention is an improvedfeeding mechanism arranged to deliver to the mixing devices theingredients in uniform proportions so as to always insure a propermixture.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds.y the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and .combinations of parte that I shall hereinafter fullydescribe-and claim.

For a full imderstanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a concrete mixing machine embodying the4 principlesof my 1nvention. Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, parts beingshown insection. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, the section being taken on alane just above the upper mixing pan. `ig. 4 is a similar view, beingtaken on a plane just above the lower mixmg pan. 141g. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section ol the lower portion of the machine. Fig. G is atransverse .sectional View through the hopper mechanism, and Fig. is adetail perspective view of on-e of the mixing blades. Fig. 8` is afragmentary perspective view "shgwi' gthe under side of the ppper mixingpan;A e cams mounted thereon and the levers for actu-ating the mixingdevices.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followmfrdescription and indicated itt all the views of) the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings, F designates the machine framework which mayhe of any desired size, construction or design. lNithin this frameworkare mounted. one above theother. a nluralityot' rotatable pans,

twoheing illustrated in the present instance, designated l1 and l,respectively. The upper pan l" is formed with an integral upstanding riml!` and the lower pan P2 is provided with a stationary rim 2 secured byany desired inc-.ins to the standards or posts ofthe framework F. Thepans are secured to a vertically disposed shaft 3 which is mounted inany desired way at the center of the framework. The bottom of the lowerpan P2 has a crown wheel or toothed rin 4:

'secured to it, thc teeth of said ring 'meshing Iwith a spur pinion 5mounted upon a driveshaft (5. The shaft 6 may be driven in any desiredway from any suitable source of powpr and preferably carries a groovedpulley Mixing blades 8 are mounted to operate in the respective pans P1and P, the said blades being arranged in a plurality of substantiallyradially extending series, as shown, all the blades slanting in adirection against the direction of the rotation of the pans. The bladesfor the upper pan are twisted laterally toward the center of the pan,and the lane of the blade is therefore laterally inclined to the support10. The lower edges of the blades are inclined rearwardly so as tocontact with the bottom of the pan and actas lows to churn and directthe material inwar ly toward the center of the pan. The

`blades for the lower pan are twisted oppout sitely to the blades forthe upper pan, are otherwise arranged in the same manner so ,as to actas plows extending in the direction opposite to that of the direction ofmovement of the lower table or pan. This is'clearly illustrated in Figs.3 and 4, one of the blades alone being shown in Fig. 7.

These blades 8 may be formed with laterally extendingr sleeves 9 bywhich they are mounted to freely swing upon supporting rods l0. Theserods may be secured in any desired Way, as by hangers 11 connected tothem at their outer ends and to the posts or standards of the frameworkand may be supported at their inner ends by center plates 12l the centerplate for the lower set. of rods being formed with un openingtoaccommodate the shaft 3. The upper` pau ll is formed near its center`with`o'nc or more openings 13 through which the matt-rial being mixedmay drop otii to the lower pan. One or more of the blades` for the lowerpan, as that designated 8 maybe wider than the rest and formed with :inangular upwardly Ut A extending inner edge constitutin a deflectingguard blade 14 arranged'c ose to the shaft for the purpose of scrapingsuch inaterial as may lie close to the axis of the lower pan, andforcing this material upward on the pan so as to be engaged by the otherblades. This guard blade prevents material from piling up around thecentral axis.

The rim 2 which constitutes the rim of the lower pan P2 is provided witha discharge gate 15 pivotally connected thereto and arranged to be swunginwardly so as to cut off a portion of the material on the rotating panbottom from the remainder so that the thorou hly mixed materials may be;discharged in a continuons stream into suitable receptacles or molds.The discharge gate 15 may be provided with any desired construction of1atch'16 to hold it in open and closed position.

The feeding devices comprise a hopper casing H, the side walls of whichare formed with inturned lower edges 17 constituting guide rails for acut-oil' 1S which is mounte to slide across the bottom of the hopper casing and which in the present instance is in the form of a plate, asshown, the said cutoff being formed with openings 19 designed toregister with the open bottoms or measuring boxes 2O and 21, said boxesbeing spaced from each other as shown. A series of dependinv plates 22and 22, 23 and 23 are pivotalTr swung from their upper edges betwee'nthe side walls of the opper casinef H said plates being held in properspaced relation to each other at their lower ends y means of a notchedspacer-bar `24, which is secured to the plates at the lower edgesthereof.

S designates the sand ho per and C the cement hopper` A driven ro ler 25is mounted in the cement hopper and is arranged to coact with a drivingroller 26 to thoroughly pulverize `the cement before it is passe to thefeedin and leveling plates 22, 23 and 231'. The riving roller 26 ismounted upon a shaft 2T journaled in hangers sus ended from the (op barsof the frameworr F, a pulley 28 or the like being secured to one end ofthe shaft 27 and connected by a .relt 29 to the pulley 7. Preferably,the shafts of the rollers 25 and 26 are mounted in sectional bearings30, the lower sections of the respective bearings being respectivelyformed with upwardly extending posts 31 which pro trude thronffh slots32 formed in the u per section, angle levers 33 being fulcruine on saidposts and carrying weights 33, as shown, one arm of th levers working innotches 34 formed in t e upper sections of the bearings so as to pressone roller toward the other.

A link-rod 35 is connected to the spacerbar 24, and said link-rod isalso connected to the upwardly and inwardly curving arm 3G of anactuating lever 37 fulcruined on any suitable support in the frameworkas indicated at 38. A link 39 connects the cut-oil 18 to an upwardly andinwardly extending arin 40 of another lever 41, also fulcrumed at oneend as indicated at 38 to ears attached to one of the vertical supportsF. The two levers, just mentioned, preferably work in a slottedguide-bar 42 which projects inwardly underneath the u per pan P1from'one of the posts of the ramework F. The levers are respectivelyrovided with rollers 378L and 41, said rol ers being designed to besuccessively engaged by cams 37 and 41 secured to the lower face of theupper pan P;

The manner in which the levers 37 and 41 are operated by the rotation ofthe pan B is clearly shown in Fi 8. rIfhe cams 37b and 41b are formedeac by ashort section of channel iron having opposed straight walls.These walls bein strai ht and not concentric to the central s aft 3, itis obvious that the first action upon the roller 37l or 4l enterin thecam, will be to move the roller and t e lever attached thereto, inwarduntil the roller has reached the middle of the cam. A further movementof the pan B in the same direction will now act to move the rolleroutward. It will be seen that the ends of either of the straight cams isfarther away from the center of the rotation of the pan B than themiddle of the cam.

One wall of the measuring box 2l for the cement is preferably formed byan angular plate 43 which is designed to be slipped own into either of apair of slots 44 formed in the side walls of the hopper casing, so as toVar according as the plate is moved outwardly or inwardly. If desiredthe outer side wall ofthe hopper casing H may be provided with anoutwardly opening door 45 held closed in any desired way, and which whenopened permits access to be had to the interior o thehop er casing forany purpose.

f. In the practica operation of my improved concrete mixer, the sand andcement are duntped into the res )ective hoppers S and C and the drivesha t 6 is started. As the pans I", P2 are rotated', the cement ispulverized and passed downwardly between the said plates 23, 23, whilethe sand fills the space between the plates 22, 22a. During the rotationof the upper an P1, the cam 37b will engage the rol er o the lever 37and will move said lever inwardly and outwardly, the inward movement ofthe lever swinging` the feed plates in a direction to bring their loweredges in alinement with the upier open tops of the measuring boxes 2O an21, so as to deposit the materials therein and the movement of thelatesjf'in the opposite direction as eiected by heqitward travel of thelever 37 w'illcauseI he lower "edges of the plates to smooth otl he theproportions of the ingredients lll materials at the top of the measuringboxes and bring the lower ed es of the feedin plates in registry with te solid, horizontai walls that extend to one side of the respectivemeasuring boxes, thereby cutting off the flow of material into theboxes. In this back and forth swin ing movement of the feeding plates,it is ovious that the' materials will be prevented from arching orclogging, owing to the differences of the position which the platesassume in this movement. After this movement just described, has beenimparted to the feeding plates and they have been brought back to therelatively closed position, the cut-oil' 18,

- wlich up to this time has been in a position to close the open bottomsof the measuring boxes, will be caused to move in a direction to bringits openings 19 in registry withI the open Abottoms of the measuringboxes to discharge the mixed ingredients on to the bottom of the upperpan P1, whereu .on the cut-oil will be slid backwardly to t e closedosition preparatory to the introduction o another charge into themeasuring boxes by the swinging of the plates before described. lt isobvious that the movements of the cut-- oil plate result from theengagement of the cani 41b with the roller of the ever 41.

When the ingredients are thus depsited upon the upper pan P1,thelrotation oft-he pan will, in connection with the seriesof mixingplates cause the materials to be effectively mixed and gradually passedto the center of the pan, the materials thus falling onto the lower panand being again comininglcd until the are passed outwardly through theopen ischarge' gate 15, it being understood .that these movements arerepeated, so that the operation of mixing ispractically a continuousone.

Having thus describedthe inventicmwliat is claimed as new is:-

1. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination of a rotatable pan, aframework in which said pan is mounted, means for rotating the pan, andmixing blades in a lurality of substantially radially, extending seriesmounted on said framework, each lof said blades being independentlypivoted for free vertical movement, said blades being laterally twistedand extending downward at an inclination to the bottom of the pan in adirection reverse to the direction of movement of the pan.

2. In a concrete niixin machine, the combination of an upper an lowerpan each rotatably mounted` means for rotating said pans` a plurality ofblades pivotally supported on the framework above the upper pan anddepending into the same, said blades being twisted laterally in thedirection ofgthe center ofv the pan and inclined downward in a directionreversi` to the movement of the pan, a plurality of blades supported onthe framework and depending into the lower pan, said blades beingtwisted laterall toward the circumference of the pan an `inclineddownwardly in a direction reverse t`o the direction of movement of thepan, the upper pan being provided with a central opening and the lowerpan being provided with a circumferential gate.

3.' In a concrete mixing machine, the conibination of a supportingframework, upper and lowerl pans mounted to rotate in said framework,means for rotating said pans and aplurality of. mixing blades mounted inthe respective pans, the blades of the upper pan being twistedtransversely and arranged to deflect the. materials toward the center ofthe pan and the blades for the lower pan being twisted oppositely to theblades of the upper p'an'and arranged to deflect the material outwardlytoward the outer edge of the lower pan, the upper pan being formed atits center with an o ening through which the material may fall) onto thelower pan and the lower pan having a fixed rim independent of the pan,and said rim having a discharge gate extending inward across the uppermargin of the pan and adapted to direct material therethrough.

4. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination with a framework, of apan mount ed to rotate therein, means for rotating said pan, a series ofrods secured in the framework above the pan and extending inwardlythereover, a centiLally located rectangular plate in 'wliieh the innerextremities of said rods are supported, laterally projecting sleevesloosely surrounding said rods and contacting with each other, and mixingblades formed with said sleeves and extending downward thereover withtheir lower ends u on the bottom of the pan. .said blades being aterallytwisted.

5. In a concrete mixing machine. the coinbination with a supportingframework. ot upper and lower pans mounted to rotate in the framework,means for rotating the paus. and a plurality of independentl \vpivote/.l mixing blades niount'e in the respectivo pans in radialseries, the blades` of thc upper pan being twisted transversely towardthc center of the pan and arranged to deflect the materials iiiward,and.the blades for the lower pan beingtwisted oppositclytethe blades of theupper pan and arranged to detioct the inuterials outward toward thi`on'ter edge of thti lower pan, the upper pan living formed :il itscenter with an opening through which the material may he dropped on totho lower pan. a fixed riin surironiuling the circumference of the lowerpan. and an inwardl)V projecting dcflerting platt` pivotallv iuonnted onsaid riln and adapted to extend in ward across thi` outer margin of thiIlowi-r plate.

6. In a concrete mixing machine. )fhtwww bination of a hopper casing,measuring` boxes secured therein, means for filling sai boxes, the boxesbeing formed with open bottoms, a 4cut-off designed to open said boxesand mounted to slide in the casin and means for rcciprocatin said cut-osaid means including an osci lating lever, a rotatable mixing pan, and acam carried by said pan and designed to engage said lever. 7. In amixing machine, the combmatxon with a hopper and boxes into which thematerial from the hopper is to be directed, of spaced guide platespivoted at their upper ends immediately beneath the hopper and havingtheir lower ends contiguous to the upper ends of said boxes, and meansfor reclprocating said guide plates so as to alternately guide thematerial into the boxes and cut it o therefrom, the lower ends of theplates acting to strike said material across the top of the boxes. 4

8. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination of a hopper casing,measuring boxes mounted "therein and formed with open to s, a pluralityof swin ing plates mount in the casin above sai boxes, the lower edgesof the p ates being adapted to swing over the top of said boxes, theplates forming thercommuiication between the receiving portions of thehoppers and the `measurmg boxes, hoppers from which said plates lead, aspaoenbar connecting said plates to ether in spaced relation and for thesimu taneous movement thereof, an oscillating lever operativel connectedto said spacer-bar and means or oscillating said lever.

9. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination of a hopper casing,measurin boxes mounted therein and formed wit open to s, a plurality ofswinging plates mounte in the casin above said boxes, the llower edgesof the p ates being adapted to swing over the top of said boxes, saidplates forming the communication between the receiving portions of thehoppers and the measuring boxes',\hoppers from which said plates lead, aspacer-bar connecting said plates to ether in spaced relation and forthe simu taneous movement thereof, an

oscillating lever o eratively connected to said spacer-bar an means foroscillating said lever, said means consisting ota rotatable mixing panmounted beneath tho mixing boxes and a cam carried by said pan andengaging said lever.

10. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination of a hopper casing,hoppers leadin thereto, measurin boxes mounted in sai casing and formewith open tops and bottoms, said plates forming the communicationbetween the receiving portions of the hop ers and the measurmg boxes,said plates being mounted to sv'in in said casing', means for swingingsaid p atea into registry with and into .one side of the open top ofthe` measuring boxes, said means includin an oscillating lever connectedto said i stes, a sup ort for said lever, a cutotf p ate mounte to openand close the bottoms of the measuring boxes, an oscillating leveroperatively connected to said cnt-ott' plate, a mixing pan mountedunderneath the boxes and ada ted to receivetlre materials therefrom ancams carried by said pan and arranged to successively engage therespective levers to oscillate the same.

11. In a concrete mixin combination with a supportmg framework, ot' anupper rotatable pan having a rim fixed thereto, a lower rotatable' panhaving a rim independent thereof and attached to the sup machine, the

porting framework, a mechanism for rotating both of said pans, mixinglblades support ed above each of said pans and engaging with the materialtherein to force the material of the upper pan to the center thereof andthe material on the lower pan to the Outer edge thereof, said u per panbeing provided with openings for tiie passage of the material to thelower pan, and the rim of the lower pan being provided with a discliargeopenin a gate pivctally attached to the rim1 and e osmg the dischargeopening in the lower pan, said gate being adapted to be moved across themargin of the lower pan, and a hopper arranged above the upper pan andhaving a sand compartment an a `cement compartment.

12. In a concrete mixing machine, a hopper having separate sand andcement compartments, stationary measuring com artments located beneaththe hopper and a apted to receive sand and cement from said ho per, recirocating means for alternate y cutting o the measnrin compartments andalternately openin the ,ottom of said compartments, rotatab e mixingmeans located' beneath the measuring compartments, and means wherebyt-he rotation of the mixing means `will act to operate `saidreciprocating means to alternately open and close said measuringcompartments. y

13. The combination with a supporting framework, ot a hopper supportedthereon having sand and cement compartments, measuring boxes, one forthe sand and one for' the` cement, located beneath their respectivemunpartments, means located above thc measuring boxes for intermittentlydirecting the sand and cement into the meas; uring boxes, said meansmovingacross the top of the measuring boxes and directing the materialtherefrom, a gate operating intermittently to close andopen the lowerend of the measuring boxes when filled, mixing means located beneath thegate and receiving the contents of the measuring boxes, and

the supply of sand and cement to means for continuously o erating themixing means, oscillating the irecting means for the sand and cement,and reciprocating said gate.

14. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination with a supportingframework, of a hopper havin(1r a sand and cement compartment arrangedadjacent to each other and mounted on the framework and measuringcompartments located above'but spaced from .the lower end of saidhopper, said measuring compartments being supported from each other,oscillating guide lates hinged at their upper ends beneath sai hopperand extending between the hopper and the measuring compartments, meansfor oscillating said plates to bring their lower ends into or out ofalinement with the openings of the measuring compartments, anintermittently actuated cut-oil' closing the lower ends of the measuringcompartments, means for movin the cut-off in one direction to open saicompartments when the oscillating guide plates' are moved to cut olf theupper ends of said compartments from the hopper, and mixing mechanismsupported on the framework beneath the vmeasuring compartments.

15. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination with a framework, of ahopper divided into a sand and a concrete compartment, pivoted platesextending downward from the lower edges of the same and the cementcompartments, measuring compartments, with the sides ot' which saidplates t are ada ted to register, means for oscillating sai plates so asto bring them out of registry with the sides of the measuringcompartments, a cut-off intermittently actuated and 'adapted to closethe lower ends of the measuring compartments, and a mixing tablearranged beneath the measuring compartments.

16. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination with a framework, of ahopper supported on the upper portion of the for said plates, and camsarranged on the -4 vlower face of the table and engaging the levers tooscillate the same.

17. In a concrete mixing machine, the combination with a framework, ofa. hopper supported on the upper portion of the framework and havingsand and cement compartments, crushing :rollers mounted immediatelybeneath the cement compartments, means for yieldingly forcing saidrollers toward each other, guide plates pivotally mountedimmediatelybeneath the hopper to form channels from the sandcompartments and from the cementfgampartments, measur; ing compartmentsar -anged beneath the said plates with which the lower ends of saidplates are adapt.ed to contact, means for oscillating said guide platesinto and out of alinement with the measuring compartments, anoscillating cut-ofi" alternately1 opel ating with respect to said guideplates and mounted beneath the measuring compartments, and a rotatablemixing pan supported beneath. the cut-of into which the material fromthe measuring compartments drops.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES r. LANCASTER. [a a] Witnesses:

` 'ROBERT D. Tmrr,

GEO. SCHNEIDER.

